Artistic Inspiration: Then and Now
I have been thinking a lot lately about what inspires my art. Everything. Simply everything.
I must listen to music that speaks to me while creating art. Calm soothing Norah Jones, Adele, Peggy Lee, Billy Holliday, Sara Bareilles..
What else.
1970's color palettes
Original flowers sketched in pencil
Any original handwritten book containing sketches transfers or photographs
Check out this book I picked up at an antique store:
MaryAnn Caughoan... August 1926. You inspire me.
Mixed Media Art inspires me. I love that there are NO rules and that most mixed media art remains in a perpetual state of incomplete. Mixed media combines my love for three dimensional design, texture, and two dimensional display art. The detail in mixed media captivates and draws me in. The combination of old, new and re purposed items combining together to create a unified finished product.
Life experience inspires me. I love to create art that matched what I feel in my soul. Sometimes it's a portrait of despair and sometimes a portrait of hope, but mostly it's a portrait of what I know life can be. It's taken me a long time to get to the place where what I feel on the inside matches what I create on the outside. It means letting go 100% of expectations, preconceived concepts, comparison, fades and trends. It means using the colors that really speak most to you. The textures that inspire you, and leaving the rest. It's impossible to create what you feel on the inside if you are attempting to impress or duplicate someone else work or style.
I have a friend who created the most beautiful art. I love her work. It's very bright and cheery. I often find myself picking her color palette, and following her style... and it inevitably leads to feelings of frustration. I really feel like my soul gets a little put off and angry when it wants to speak and be heard, and I'm expending my energy in the wrong style and color.
Technique is one thing, style is another. I love to learn new techniques... but the style must be my own. I spend a good amount of time in thrift stores going through bins of old rubbish sewing notions, patterns, business ledgers and forms. Anything that can be used as a tool or supply.
The tree is made of tissue paper and Mod Podge.
I am inspired by vintage tooled leather. I'm not particularly fond of the traditional style, but I love to look at tooled leather and discover new techniques, techniques make my hands go crazy with anticipation of getting a hold of tools, using the tools to combine what I've learned with what I know. Each piece is a journey into unknown territory, always expanding and developing the talent. I fall more and more in love with leather every time I create.
I created this cuff for a time lapse video. I am very excited to see how it comes out. I'll be sure to post a link when it does.
xoxo Cam
Please check out all the other amazing women involved in this inspirational project. I feel so privileged to be included with them.
